


love countdown

by bluebellesie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fluff, M/M, Romance, SOULMATE TIMERS, Soulmate AU, Soulmates, broganes, hints at a minor panic attack, it's really small tho, they love each other susan, theyre in an elevator
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-17
Updated: 2017-11-17
Packaged: 2019-02-03 11:06:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,090
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12747081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluebellesie/pseuds/bluebellesie
Summary: Keith's eyes snapped up, and suddenly he was lost in a sea of blue. Dark blue, like the ocean during the summer, the sky once the sunset goes to sleep.They were beautiful.His Soulmate was beautiful.





	love countdown

**Author's Note:**

> a very late birthday present to two people and only one of them's real
> 
> i had so much fun with this i love soulmate aus so flippin much man

It wasn't until they were shoved inside a stuffy elevator with a family of four, going up to the highest floor in the arena to watch an overhyped game of ice fetch, with music blasting and fans screaming and the room overcrowded as fuck, when Keith realized he only had a minute and twenty six seconds left on his Soulmate Timer.

_What the fuck. How the fuck? Shit._

He could've sworn it said four weeks only just yesterday. That alone was heart attack worthy, but this- a minute?

_Oh god. Oh god oh god oh god_.

He wasn't ready. He wasn't ready. His hair was a mess, his breath smelled, he had the ugliest case of eye bags. The jacket he wore belonged to his brother and was way too big for him, his face was on the verge of breaking out, he hadn't washed his hair in two days. Not to mention he probably had a cold and a runny nose and was shivering hard enough to cause an earthquake.

Charming.

This wasn't at all how he had imagined it would go. The last thing he wanted was to appear to his Soulmate as some kind of slug.

Oh god. His _Soulmate_.

He was going to meet his Soulmate. Right here. In this elevator. Soon. In a little over a _minute_.

His mind blanked, and he turned to his two companions in a panic, who were staring at their tickets in an attempt to figure out where their seats were.

_Twenty two seconds. Twenty one seconds. Twenty._

"We're in the overhang, correct?" Allura asked, fiddling with a strand of her hair. Her cheeks were flushed from the cold.

"Yeah," Shiro responded, studying the three tickets in his hand. "G1, G2, and G3. I got us corner seats because I knew Keith wouldn't want to be in the middle of everyone."

Allura laughed. "Yes, I suppose he wouldn't have liked that much." She turned to him then, a teasing smile on her face, but it quickly dropped when she saw his petrified expression. "Keith? Are you okay?"

_Nineteen. Eighteen. Seventeen. Sixteen._

"Keith?" Now Shiro noticed. His eyebrows furrowed worriedly, and he lowered the tickets to his side. "What's wrong?"

Keith swallowed, trying to will himself to speak. It felt like a lump of ice was stuck in his throat, blocking the words from getting out and sending a chill throughout his entire body. Oh god, he was _not ready_.

Pushing up his sleeve, he shoved his wrist between the two of them. Located there was something that was familiar to everyone: a small, shiny silver bracelet with a clamp that could only be opened once the timer arrived at zero. The numbers glowed with a faint green hue, visible even during the darkest lighting, counting down until the moment two pairs of eyes met.

The Soulmate Timer.

Everyone got one when they were very young, a bracelet, a band, a promise of someone on the other end. It was a string of fate, linking you to someone else out there, another soul in the world that you would eventually come face to face with, and, if the universe was kind, fall in love with (although, there are platonic Soulmates). Another human being you would spend the rest of your life with, forever be in contact with, forever have your path be intertwined with theirs. The Soulmate Timer held the breath of a whispered promise you had to lean in close to hear, for there was always that one fear: _what if it doesn't work for me?_

They... don't always work out. Shiro was twelve years old when his Soulmate Timer crashed, the numbers flashing by at an un-viewable speed before finally coming to a stop at zero. The bracelet snapped off, landing with a heavy thud on the ground, and the ringing of the silence afterwards still echoed in Keith's ears sometimes.

Their parents had whisked Shiro away before Keith could see him break down. He didn't see his brother for around a week after that.

Sometimes promises were broken.

_Ten, nine, eight, seven._

Keith's train of thought was interrupted by a gasp. Allura had a hand to her mouth, her own Soulmate Timer shining in the dim elevator light. Shiro's face was expressionless, but his eyes had widened to the size of plates. They both looked like they had seen a ghost, which did nothing to quench Keith's own nerves.

It only lasted a few seconds, however.

"Oh my gosh, Keith!" Allura cried, grabbing his wrist and tugging it close to her face. He jerked in surprise, trying not to fall over. "A minute! You have a minute! They're so close!"

_Six, five, four._

Shiro's face broke out into a wide smile, and he clasped a hand onto Keith's shoulder. Keith turned to him, searching his face for something, anything that would hint at any negative feelings, any sign of sadness, the smallest glance of a look of longing- however, there were none. Shiro's face radiated pure joy.

"Glad you decided to come?" he asked, laughing.

_Three, two, one. Zero._

The Timer paused, and then it was only seconds now.

_Fifty-nine, fifty-eight, fifty-seven..._

"I'm scared," Keith whispered, staring at the Timer. The numbers flashed by, and each drop had his heart skipping a beat until he was sure it wasn't beating at all.

What if his soulmate didn't like him? What if they simply looked at him and got a bad taste in their mouth? What if they were hoping for someone different, someone more attractive, more kind, more everything? What if he could see them trying to love him but just being unable to?

He wasn't ready. God, he wasn't ready. If he could've walked out of that elevator, he would've done so. _He wasn't ready._

_Fifty. Forty-nine, forty-eight, forty-seven..._

Two pairs of hands gripped his arms, and a part of him wanted them to let go, _let go_ , but the other wanted to tug them closer and shield himself from everything. He didn't know what he wanted.

Before they could say anything, the elevator stopped moving, and the doors slid open. A few people stepped inside, making the small space even more suffocating than it already was. He was led to the wall to make more room, and Keith realized he was struggling to breathe. The door closed, locking them in, and the elevator continued once again.

He dared another glance at the Soulmate Timer.

_Twenty-seven, twenty-six, twenty-five..._

Someone put an arm around him, rubbing his back despite his multiple layers of clothing making him unable to feel it. He shuddered, squeezing his eyes closed, trying to gather his bearings.

"We know you're nervous," Allura whispered, trying to make the conversation as private as possible, considering being almost shoulder to shoulder with strangers. "And it's normal to feel nervous. Keith, it's so totally okay to not feel ready for any of this. I know I'm not, and I have another two weeks."

Keith opened his eyes, taking a deep breath. He heard Shiro's low rumble of approval, and realized it was his brother that had him tucked under his arm.

"It's going to be okay, Keith," he murmured, "just keep breathing. It's okay."

_Ten, nine, eight, seven..._

"What if they don't like me?" he gasped out. He could see some people in the elevator glancing at him, their eyes lighting up in understanding.

_Stop looking at me, stop looking at me._

The elevator came to a stop. They were only two floors away from their destination, and Keith's eyes widened as the doors started to open.

_Five, four, three..._

" _They'll love you_ ," he heard, but he couldn't tell who had said it. People were stepping inside, two, three, five. He couldn't see the doors anymore. Stepping back, he pressed up against the wall of the elevator, feeling Shiro's arm drop back down to his side to avoid getting squished. Keith stared at the floor, the voices becoming overwhelming, his heart going at the speed of a freight train. He was sure he lost the ability to breathe again.

A pair of feet stepped into his line of sight. They stumbled from being shoved, and then a warm body was pressing close to his, locking him into the wall, their rushed breath of a "sorry!" hitting his face.

They smelled like candy canes.

_Two, one..._

Keith's eyes snapped up, and suddenly he was lost in a sea of blue. Dark blue, like the ocean during the summer, the sky once the sunset goes to sleep. Blue that reminded him of rainstorms, of nights spent watching the drops of water trickle down the window. Their skin was without a single blemish, skin soft enough to rival silk, skin he wouldn't mind touching, if only just once. They stared at him, their mouth hanging open slightly, and he realized just how much this person probably took care of their body, for their lips looked as soft as their skin, glistening in the lighting of the elevator with what seemed to be chapstick. Their hair looked disheveled, sticking up wildly from the faded navy blue beanie they wore, and they were flushed a faint red, from either the cold or something else, he couldn't tell.

They were beautiful.

His Soulmate was beautiful.

_Zero_.

The Timer vibrated, signaling it was done, the wait was over, _you can rest, now_. He saw their eyes widen, that beautiful blue sparkling even more, and he realized with a slight horror that during all his staring, they had been staring right back. They saw his ugly eye bags showing a week's worth of no sleep, they saw his oily skin from going too long without washing it, his messy hair shining in the dim light for the same reason. He was a slimy rat compared to them, something that should live in the sewers, and the fact that he even thought that this was his Soulmate was almost laughable.

With one look, he could immediately tell that they were too good for him. They deserved someone so, so much better than who the universe decided to pair them up with. _I'm so sorry_.

Their gaze softened then, it softened at _him_ , and their lips lifted into the smallest, most loving smile he had ever seen.

"God," they whispered, "you're beautiful."

Keith's heart froze in his chest. He blinked in surprise, his eyes widening even more, which he didn't think was possible. He could feel his face turning a bright red, and he was sure if he touched it, the skin would burn off his fingertips.

_Beautiful... he thinks I'm beautiful?_

At a loss of what to say, he ducked his head, finally breaking eye contact. He stared at their- his- shirt, which had the NASA logo printed on the front.

_NASA_. Keith's heart ached.

Was it possible to love someone you didn't even know the name of?

" _Shit_ \- I'm sorry!" his Soulmate rushed out, lowering his voice. "Sorry, I- that was sudden, wasn't it?" He gave a nervous laugh, and Keith saw his feet shuffle back a bit.

_No, wait. No no no-_

"No!" Keith looked up again, stopping him in his tracks. "No, I- that's not it, I just-" he swallowed, trying to get his thoughts together. "You're the beautiful one."

His Soulmate stared at him, stunned into silence. Keith felt like he was going to have a heart attack, he wanted to bolt, leave the situation entirely, just leap out of the room with a giant "NOPE" hanging over his head.

A hand grabbed his, holding it in silent support, and immediately the tension left his shoulders. He felt he could breathe again, and he did so, taking a deep gulp of air and letting it out slowly. He didn't feel like he was gonna throw up his intestines anymore.

_Thank you, Shiro._

After a few moments, a bright flush crept across his Soulmate's cheeks, and he quickly looked down to hide his shy smile- although, Keith saw it. He wasn't ever going to look away.

"You think I'm beautiful?" he whispered, finally looking up again. That smile was still there, and Keith felt his heart skip a beat.

That smile was his. It was literally fate. _This was his Soulmate._

"Yeah," he murmured back, watching in delight as the smile grew a little bit wider, cheeks turning a little bit pinker. "You... you're really beautiful."

His Soulmate giggled- _giggled_ \- and stepped closer again. Keith was able to see a light dusting of freckles across his nose, and he was struck with a sudden urge to kiss every last one. He wanted to hold his hand and stroke his face and do every single cliché couple thing under the sun, and the fact that they were stuck in an overcrowded elevator, unable to really move, just made him frustrated because he _couldn't_.

Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw someone in a green jacket grin at him, but he was too focused on the boy in front of him to take much notice. He was sure both Shiro and Allura were watching the two of them, along with everyone else in the elevator, and the thought alone made him want to die.

Probably shouldn't think about that.

"What's your name?" his Soulmate asked in a hushed whisper.

_I want to know yours first._

Keith swallowed, squeezing Shiro's hand tighter. "It's Ke-"

The elevator gave a small shake, and then the doors were sliding open with a soft ding. People began to shuffle out into the hallway, and the sound of booming music pierced the air sharply. The person standing behind his Soulmate stepped away, and with an awkward cough, the boy stepped back, too.

A flash of panic darted through Keith, and without thinking he lunged forward and grabbed his hand. His Soulmate jerked to a stop, snapping his head up to stare at him before lowering his gaze down to their hands.

Keith was thankful he was wearing his fingerless gloves, putting a barrier between their palms. He was sweating hard enough to put out a house fire.

His Soulmate looked up at him, wearing the same soft smile from before. He stepped closer again until their shoulders were brushing, and Keith's mind blanked. He only barely noticed Shiro letting his hand go, giving him an encouraging squeeze beforehand.

"I'm not going anywhere," his Soulmate murmured, close enough that Keith could count every one of his eyelashes.

"I know you're not," Keith responded quietly, shuffling a little bit closer. How much closer could he get before it was physically impossible? "I just... want to be sure. That you don't. For right now."

His Soulmate laughed, and he tugged him out of the elevator, leading him to the side so they were out of the way of traffic. The hallway was mostly empty except for the stream coming out of the elevator, but even that was becoming less and less.

Keith was aware of a small group of people hovering nearby, idly chatting amongst themselves, and with a quick glance he saw it consisted of Shiro, Allura, and two others he didn't know. One was a small figure in a heavy green jacket, and the other was taller with a rather long yellow scarf. They were turned away from them, waiting for them but also giving them privacy.

"The big guy's Hunk," his Soulmate said, and Keith turned to look at him. "The smaller one's Pidge. They're my friends."

Keith smiled, glancing at them again. "They seem really nice."

"Yeah," his Soulmate chuckled, "I guess so. Pidge is the devil in disguise, though, I swear."

Keith gave a surprised snort, quickly dissolving into small giggles. His Soulmate stared at him, a smile creeping across his face.

"You're really cute when you laugh," he said.

Keith stopped, his face turning red, and he quickly ducked his head again, staring at their shoes. "Oh- I- um."

"No no-" hands framed his cheeks, bringing his face back up until he was staring straight into his Soulmate's eyes, who looked a little bit panicked. "Sorry, I- that stuff kinda just comes out, doesn't it?" He laughed nervously, quickly dropping his hands back to his sides. "I'm sorry."

Keith blinked, the faint lingering of his Soulmate's warmth on his cheeks making it hard to think. He shook his head, reaching forward to slip his fingers in between his, bringing them up between their chests. He heard his Soulmate give a shaky exhale, and tightened his grip on their hands.

"It's okay," Keith said, looking up at him, smiling. "I'm just... I'm not used to it. Having you."

His Soulmate stared at him, eyes wide and cheeks dusted pink. Keith saw him swallow before he opened his mouth. "Lance."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"My name. Lance," his Soulmate said again, this time with a small grin.

_Lance_.

Something clicked just then. It was like a missing puzzle piece was finally inserted into where it was supposed to go. That name wasn't anything like he had expected, but at the same time it was everything he had thought it would be. That name, that assortment of sounds, brought on a wave of emotions Keith was unable to identify. He felt like he was drowning, and yet, he was soaring amongst the clouds.

"Lance," he softly repeated. " _Lance_."

His Soulmate- Lance- was grinning, and Keith realized he had a dimple on his left cheek. His eyes could have been twinkling.

Could he be any more perfect?

"And..." Lance trailed off, studying Keith's face. "You?"

Keith blinked. He was still reeling from _Lance_. "Me?"

"Your name," Lance said. "I can't keep calling you My Beautiful Soulmate forever."

_Oh my god_. Keith struggled to keep his head up, to not shove it into Lance's chest and take root there. "Oh."

Lance gave a breathy chuckle, and with their hands between their chests, Keith was able to feel it.

He wanted to feel that again. And the fact that he will brought him more happiness than he could describe.

"I thought we've already established this," Keith was finally able to say, smirking when Lance looked at him in confusion. "You're the beautiful one."

There was a moment of silence, then he heard a squeak before a hand was covering his face, forcing him to lean back. He burst into laughter, grabbing Lance's wrist and tugging his hand away to find him flushed.

He was... so cute? So endearing? God, Keith never wanted to look away from him again.

"So you can dish out compliments, but you can't receive them?" Keith laughed, stepping closer until they were in each other's spaces again.

Lance huffed, intertwining their fingers. "I can, actually. It's just, when it's you..." he swallowed, gaze flickering away from Keith's before locking back on again. "I dunno."

Something warmed in Keith's chest, and he smiled. "You're really cute, you know that?"

"Yep," Lance said, grinning. "And you're breathtaking."

_How much longer can his heart take this holy shit._

Squeezing Lance's hand, Keith shook his head. "Are you always going to say things like that?"

"You betcha. You're in for a _long_ ride."

Keith paused. It was probably way too early to say _I love you_ , so he said the next possible thing. "Keith."

There was a moment where Lance simply stared at him, his wide, blue eyes taking him all in, processing what he had said. The next moment, it passed, and understanding lit up his features, quickly followed by the biggest and brightest smile Keith had probably ever seen. It was almost dazzling, near blinding, but unlike the Sun, Keith could stare at it for hours.

_Cause of death: Soulmate's smile._

"Keith," Lance whispered. " _Keith_."

"Yeah," Keith laughed. "Yeah."

"God, you're- Keith. _Keith!_ " Before he realized what was happening, Lance had him in a tight hug, squishing his cheek against the soft fabric of his shirt. It was almost hard to breathe, and he scrambled to hug him back, grabbing at the back of his jacket and tugging him closer. Lance's scent wafted up his nose, smelling like candy canes and sugar cookies and pine trees. He smelled like home on a Christmas morning, curled up by the fire with a mug of cocoa and a fluffy blanket draped over your shoulders. He smelled _good_.

If Keith were to die like this, he would die happy.

" _Guys!_ " Lance cried, turning to the group a little ways down the hallway. Keith peeked at them over Lance's shoulder, thankful his laughter was muffled by Lance's warmth. " _Keith!_ "

They all stared at them, and then Allura was snorting, Hunk was laughing, and Shiro was trying not to give in. Pidge started clapping, shaking her head at them despite wearing a wide smile.

"Congrats, you guys!" Hunk called. Shiro was giving them a thumb's up.

Lance looked down at him again, that smile still on his face, and Keith returned it with everything he had.

He never wanted this moment to end.

"Lance, can we get the introductions in? I've been dying to meet this guy."

"Oh! Right, right," Lance said, pulling away, but he quickly grabbed Keith's hand and held it tight in his own. "Not going anywhere," he murmured with a smile.

It was hard for Keith to tear his eyes away from Lance's blue, but he managed to do so and turned to face Pidge, who stood in front of them with her arms crossed. Upon seeing him, her face lit up, and she gave a small, excited wave.

"Hi!" she said. "I'm Katie! You can call me Pidge, though." She awkwardly dropped her hand back to her side. "Uh, it's nice to meet you."

"Hi, Pidge," Keith said, his cheeks aching almost painfully from all his smiling. "It's nice to meet you, too."

"And I'm Hunk!" Hunk interjected, stepping forward. Keith only had a second to process before he was being swept up into another hug, being squeezed hard enough for parts of his back to crack. He was set back down, nearly stumbling if not for Lance's grip on his hand.

"Hi, Hunk," Keith gasped. "You're- you're really good at hugs."

Hunk bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I get that a lot."

Lance nudged him, grinning. "Hunk's the world's number one hug dealer. Hunk the Hugger!"

The three of them laughed, and Keith watched them all with wide eyes.

Friends. These were going to be his friends.

"Our turn!" The small group looked up to find Allura standing behind them, closely followed by Shiro. She smiled at Lance, holding out her hand. "Hello, Lance," _Lonce_ , "it's so good to finally meet you! I'm Allura."

With his free hand, Lance reached out and took hers in a handshake. "Hey!"

Something about the sight of Lance hand-in-hand with his closest friend struck something within Keith. That warmth within his chest from earlier grew until it filled nearly every corner and crevice in his body, warming him from the inside out.

Allura stepped away, and Shiro took her place. He held out his hand for Lance to take, giving him a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you, Lance. I'm Shiro, Keith's brother."

Lance's eyebrows shot up. "Ah, so you're the guy I'm gonna have to prove myself to?"

Shiro sent him a stern look. "Mmhmm."

Keith rolled his eyes, and the others burst into laughter, Lance included. It was nice, _so_ nice, and when he looked around at all of them, he didn't know what he had been so afraid of.

He couldn't wait to get to know Pidge and Hunk.

He couldn't wait to get to know Lance.

His _Soulmate_.

"Uh- guys?" Hunk said, turning to look down the hallway, where the flashing lights had calmed down considerably and the music wasn't so loud. "I think the game is starting?"

"Oh, _shit!_ " Pidge hissed, whipping around. "Matt's gonna be pissed if I don't record bubble hockey!"

Allura paused, looking at her. "Who?"

Pidge waved a hand in the air. "My brother. Guys, come _on_."

She took off like a bullet, and the others frantically tried to keep up with her. Lance sent Keith a grin, tightening his grip on his hand, leaning in close.

"You ready?" he whispered, the purple lights bringing out the freckles in his skin. His beautiful, beautiful skin.

Keith grinned back. "You know it. You?"

Lance's eyes flashed, and then they were running, hand-in-hand, smiles plastered on their faces.

" _Hell yeah_."

**Author's Note:**

> AH !!
> 
> iiiiiiiii might make a part two


End file.
